Perilous

More than 130 employees of Customs and Border Protection have been indicted or convicted of corruption-related charges since late 2004, most of them occurring on the southwest border. That’s one of several findings my reporting partner Andrew Becker reveals today in a partnership with the Los Angeles Times. The story is accompanied by an exhaustive online database detailing the cases.

There’s Luis Alarid, who allegedly allowed cars into California filled with drugs and illegal immigrants. There’s another man authorities suspected of providing sensitive information about law enforcement investigations to criminals after accessing a specialized database over 250 times. Writes Becker:

As the agency rapidly increased staffing, the system designed to identify shady job applicants struggled to keep pace, resulting in hurried background checks and loosened hiring standards, said former and current customs officials, background investigators and Border Patrol union officials.